The company that won a $24 million contract to operate the Rhode Island health benefits exchange's customer service center is an affiliate of a company that is selling plans on the exchange, but state officials say there are built-in protections to prevent conflicts of interests.

Companies are increasingly confident the economy will grow at a modest pace over the next year and are hiring more, according to a survey of business economists.

Humana Inc. says it will cover the 36 Mississippi counties that had been left uncovered on the new federal online marketplace when it starts enrolling customers in October.